The quarterback battle between Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins will be at the center of things for the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason. No matter how it all shakes out in the meantime, Raiders fans know that Mendoza is the future. But the future can't come fast enough for a deprived fanbase.
It seems like everyone has an argument for when exactly Mendoza should take the reins, whether it be from the jump, before a two-game home stretch in Week 6, sometime mid-season or as early as Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints. But perhaps the schedule timing doesn't mean all that much.
Fans should know by now that head coach Klint Kubiak is all about the work and diving into the film, so this decision isn't going to be made with analytics or through projection. It'll be settled on the field, and Kubiak just gave reporters some clarity on when he expects that choice to become obvious.
Las Vegas Raiders HC Klint Kubiak says QB decision won't be made until at least training camp
Following Day 2 of OTAs, Kubiak met with the media and fielded questions. When asked about the quarterback competition, which is at the forefront of everybody's minds, Kubiak wouldn't give an exact date, but he told reporters when he expects the picture to become clearer.
"It's going to reveal itself, especially in training camp," Kubiak said. "We'll let the players figure that out with their team."
And that makes a great deal of sense, as it is difficult to evaluate a player in OTAs, where contact isn't allowed. But training camp is a solid middle ground, as the Raiders can't afford to let big decisions drag on deep into the preseason and perhaps even the regular season as Pete Carroll did a year ago.
Kubiak and Co. need to be all-in on who the starting quarterback is in Las Vegas, and if they want the team to have a fighting chance, that player needs to be under center eating up the bulk of the reps through the preseason so the Silver and Black don't find themselves behind the 8-Ball.
Now, Kubiak did not guarantee that a choice would be made by then; this is a mere update on the perceived timeline for the highly-anticipated decision. And ideally, one of the two quarterbacks, preferably Mendoza, reveals himself to the team as the No. 1 guy, and it is as clear as day.
If it isn't obvious to those in the building who should start, that can mean one of two things: On the positive side of things, the Raiders could have two quarterbacks that they can't keep off the field. On the negative side of things, it could mean Las Vegas doesn't have an immediately appealing option.
While it will certainly be exciting to follow this competition at every turn, and it will be hard not to call it early when Mendoza inevitably starts playing well this offseason, fans need to be patient and let the process play out. The Raiders don't need to have it all figured out this spring or in early summer.
But by training camp, ideally, things start to play out more and Las Vegas can make an informed decision. And it sounds like Kubiak plans on letting things get to at least that point before making the final call between Mendoza and Cousins, which is a good thing.
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